Winter Blossom
by Starling Short
Summary: The pieces were set and everything was going accordingly, but even Aizen can make slight miscalculations. Filling in the gaps of what happened the last night Hinamori saw Aizen alive. Lemon AiHina! Please read and review! :3


Captain Sosuke Aizen sat alone in his well-lit room. His fox fur calligraphy brush was positioned delicately between his fingers as the dark bristles flowed almost like water over the pale parchment.

The past several days had been very long and troublesome, but that day in particular drove the usually very calm and complacent man nearly to the point of exhaustion. Currently Lieutenant Renji Abarai was critically wounded and remained in the safe keeping of Squad Four's medical expertise, along with various other Soul Reapers from virtually every squad. Even a handful of the invading ryoka were under Captain Unohana's care.

With Central Forty-Six pushing up Rukia Kuchiki's execution date seemingly day by day while providing still no further explanation as to why she was being sentenced to death for such a simple crime the entire Soul Society had been turned upside down and against one another. The ryoka. The execution. Central Forty-Six and their obscure rule adjustments. None of it meant anything to anyone.

Except, perhaps, him.

Everything now was perfectly set. The pieces were in their positions, the fruits of his labours were ripe for the taking, and all that was left were two meager steps forward. The Captain of Squad Five would never admit it to anyone, not even to his trusted confidant, but a very small, almost unidentifiable part of him regretted, no, felt pity for those who may or certainly would be harmed when he won this intense strategy game that his opponents were completely unaware even existed to begin with. In some ways such an advantage seemed almost unfair.

With a heavy sigh he trailed the tip of his brush through the ink and continued to write. Aizen's rich brown eyes blinked slowly and his shoulders relaxed. Every movement eradicated any tension he had left away. Whether he almost regretted the consequences of his actions or not, he really had no control over that. Fate would decide the precise course, but the end result will turn out in his favour just as planned and adding preferential treatment to his plot would only complicate things further. He pressed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with a slight smirk that may have not been a smirk at all but a trick of the light.

The next few days would be very interesting.

***

Strangers to the Soul Society would have found that evening to be ordinary. Some might have even considered it beautiful. Not a single wisp of cloud blemished the blackish blue sky and every star was a single diamond on a patch of rich black velvet cloth. As normal as that night seemed, Momo Hinamori knew better. Usually the streets and alleyways of the Seireitei were bustling even after dark, and no one, not even ranking officers wore their zanpaku-to in public.

Momo's gait was slow and wandering. Lately everything had become a huge mess. The adopted daughter of the noble Kuchiki family was about to be executed, and for no good reason! That alone was enough to send the very close hierarchy of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads into an uproar. Plus Rukia's execution was what brought the ryoka into Soul Society to begin with.

"And it doesn't help that Kisuke and Yoruichi seem to be assisting them," Momo whispered aloud while lost in thought. She paused and leaned against the wooden railing that lined the walkway and looked at that perfect sky. Just seeing that at least one thing in her life was still normal set her young adolescent heart at ease.

No. Not just one thing.

Captain Aizen had always been and still was there for her. In truth Momo's walk had not been one only due to insomnia and restlessness. Momo was on her way to visit Captain Aizen as well as seek his counsel. Momo had lost track of how long she had been Aizen's Lieutenant, but over the years the two of them had shared their thoughts about anything and everything from books to art forms to politics. Unfortunately while dealing with the ryoka and injured Soul Reapers, the Captain's and their ranking officers had so much on their plates that there had been no real time for Momo to clear her thoughts completely. Even though it was late surely Captain Aizen wouldn't be too bothered by her unannounced interruption.

With a confident nod Momo smiled and hurried off to meet with Aizen. Fervently she rubbed her arms. She had been so anxious that in her haste she forgot to throw on a thicker night robe over her nagajuban*. It was late, only hours from sunrise, so she was sure no one would notice her lack of appropriate clothing, but the crisp air made her regret it all the same. The air passed through the thinly woven cotton as she walked and hugged her skin as if she wore nothing.

As she reached Aizen's door Momo's pace slowed with the fainting pitter-patter her feet made against the paneled wood floor. Light still shown from the inside of the translucent sliding doors, so Aizen was either relaxing or busy working. Considering the early hour of the morning it was probably something work related as opposed to the former. Momo bit her lip hesitantly. Captain Aizen was never anything but kind to her and he never hesitated to placate her needs for discussion and guidance, yet all the same she could not shake the feeling that she was constantly interrupting something terribly important. Lately at least.

Momo inched closer to the door, and just as she was about to tap her pale knuckles against the screen Captain Aizen spoke.

"What is it? Is something wrong, Lieutenant Hinamori?"

Taken aback by his sudden questions Momo was so startled that the blood rushed prematurely into her round cheeks. With a deep, quiet breath she touched the door handle and slid it open with a shake of her head.

"I-I'm sorry, Captain Aizen, but," Momo paused, contemplating her choice of words carefully. "May I speak with you for a moment? I know it's late, and this is so rude of me, but I promise I won't fall asleep in front of you, Captain!"

An irrepressible whimper stole from between her lips.

"Please?"

Without hesitation Captain Aizen stood up, pulled his tawny and fawn striped night robe from his shoulders and draped it around Momo's petite and slightly shivering figure.

"Do you really think I'm so cold-hearted that I would send you away?"

Aizen shook his head in slight disbelief although he still smiled and ushered Momo inside out of the cool air.

"Just come in." Aizen closed the door behind his Lieutenant. "You must have had a difficult day today. Just stay here until you calm down."

"Oh, Captain Aizen, thank you so much!" Momo sighed softly, resisting the urge to throw her arms around her Captain's midsection.

Aizen gestured toward some cushions and Momo took a seat at a small table in the centre of the room. Momo folded her arms on the table and leaned forward, resting her head on her forearm as she watched Aizen return to his work. She drew his robe closer around her, catching slight hints of his naturally woodsy scent. Straightaway Momo felt much better by just being around Captain Aizen, but as soon as her mood improved it became nearly impossible not to notice the thinness of his undergarments. The cream coloured robe fit but still hung loosely on his shoulders, and although she could not quite see directly through the fabric Momo could make out the lines of his arms and his waist as he picked up his fox fur brush and continued to write.

And then it dawned on her.

If she could see his shape through his clothes, then could he see through hers as well? Momo turned her glance away in attempt to stop her thoughts from proceeding further. He was her Captain! Momo's relationship with Aizen was really no closer than what other Lieutenants shared with their own Captains, except perhaps Captain Kyouraku and his Lieutenant Nanao Ise. Surely it was not anything more than platonic, but—

"Finished," Aizen said with a smile, blowing gently over the parchment to encourage the ink to dry. "Even after the sun goes down, work never seems to truly end."

Momo gave a timid laugh and nodded. She would pretend that she didn't notice the gentle up turn in his lips as blew, or how his shoulder blades rose slowly as he inhaled. Never mind her thoughts on how his hair fell perfectly around his kind face.

"And," Aizen added while indicating to his neatly made daybed, "If you need to rest you are more than welcome to—"

"I'm not tired!"

Momo snapped awake, straightening her posture immediately. Aizen had pulled up a cushion himself and sat close to Momo; almost unbearably close. Every cell in her lungs filled with oxygen to the brim until she was about to choke with anticipation.

"Captain, I really don't—"

"Hush," Aizen muttered softly, pressing his index finger firmly but delicately to his Lieutenant's well-shaped lips. "You trust me, don't you Momo? You know I would never do anything to hurt you."

Aizen's tone was suddenly more serious. Gentle of course as his voice always was, but every word he spoke was laced with sincerity and genuine concern. This was something Momo had never seen from Aizen before, and despite herself it confused her so terribly that her head began to hurt.

Momo opened her mouth to speak, but before she could respond Aizen pressed his warm lips to hers. For what felt like minutes her breath caught in her chest, petrified by the mere fact that the lips that had claimed hers just now were those of her beloved Captain Aizen. For a split second the world seemed to spin so fast and her pulse raced in a way she had never felt, but against her own instincts she pressed her hands against Aizen's chest and pushed herself away.

"Captain Aizen," Momo whispered, extremely confused. "We really shouldn't."

Aizen didn't respond. Instead he kept silent and brushed his lips against his Lieutenant's bare neck, just barely kissing the warmth of her skin. Patches of gooseflesh erupted all over Momo's body causing her to shiver. Forcing Momo was out of the question, but judging by the unsuccessfully restricted moans that resounded faintly in her throat, Aizen knew that wouldn't have to happen.

"C-Captain—"

In one smooth motion Aizen wrapped his arm around Momo's small midsection, pulling her into him as he whispered lovingly against her ear.

"Lieutenant, you wouldn't deny your Captain, would you? I know you don't mean to push me away. Not a good girl like you."

Momo's eyes widened and her face flushed scarlet as her mind attempted to process the many things Aizen might possibly mean by the word "deny". In some dark, secret part of her this was her most desired fantasy, but until that very moment it was one she had always hesitated to acknowledge. She wasn't quite sure the best way to respond, but Momo hoped that her voice didn't sound nearly as choked to Aizen as it did to her.

"Captain, you know I'll do anything for you."

Aizen was nearly taken aback at the intensity of Momo's response although his expression still held the same softness it always did. Every word was honey coated with a lustful desire that he honestly never thought possible from his young and virginal subordinate, but those few words were consent enough for him. Crushing Momo's body into his, Aizen claimed her lips once more, only this time with a ravenous need that had been pent up inside him for so long, while letting one hand slide from Momo's waist to her lower back while he cupped one of her budding breasts in the other.

Rapid tingling sensations ran through Momo's body, temporarily freezing all capability of physical response before she clasped her hands around Aizen's neck and let her fingers curl through his wavy chestnut hair. The warmth of his skin radiated against the palms of her hands as Momo made familiar to memory every arch of bone and feature she touched from the line of his jaw to the broadness of his shoulders.

Aizen ignored Momo's initial lack of experience when she first returned his kisses with naïveté. As expected of any student of his she learned quickly, timing the movements of her lips to best match his own immediately. Although perhaps more time had passed than he thought. Experimentally Aizen nipped Momo's lower lip, coaxing from her louder moans with each delicate bite.

"Hush," he whispered again, lowering Momo onto her back. "The walls are thin."

Momo opened her mouth to protest, but Aizen had already silenced her again, his hands moving along her body unsure of which of the many forbidden fruits set before him he should sample next. With expertise he pushed his knee between her legs, settling somewhere between her lower thigh and her groin before grabbing Momo squarely by the hips and sliding her up against him, her partially exposed thighs pressed on either side of his clothed one as her heat radiated against his leg. Compared to many things Aizen had lifted Momo weighed hardly anything. She slid up so far against him in fact that her thigh was nestled snugly between his legs and firmly against his groin.

As if it were possible, Momo's already flushed cheeks filled even more with heat when Aizen's prominent manhood pressed against her leg with barely a layer and a half of cloth between their nude bodies, a thought that Aizen knew at the same time terrified and thrilled the young girl. Aizen slowly pulled himself away from Momo, his muscles tightening uncomfortably as he did so, his body screaming at him for not pressing forward immediately. Was he perhaps getting cold feet? No, of course not! Looking his partner up and down, as much as he could at least with her in his lap, Aizen seductively bit his bottom lip while watching Momo shiver in anticipation. The uncomfortable twinges in his groin were almost worth watching this delicious adolescent flower unfold quite literally in his lap, the shoulders of her robe slipping down only slightly, exposing her prominent collarbone like the unveiling of rose petals from the sweet fragrance and golden centre.

"What should I do next?" Momo breathed. Her dark eyes were glazed over as if she had been hypnotized, completely overpowered by so many new, pleasurable sensations.

"What do you want to do next?"

At the thought Momo's eyes widened unimaginably. She knew exactly what she wanted, and with how little barrier there was between she and her beloved Captain there was no doubt judging from those deep brown eyes just peering above the thick frames of his glasses that he knew what she was just too shy to say herself.

"Tell me," Aizen sighed against Momo's ear, the heat from her warm face radiating against his own. Every word thereafter was filled with lust, Aizen's voice low and intoxicating like a noxious fume. "Say the words and I will satisfy every desire you could ever think of, and then more."

Momo shuddered against him, resting her chin against his well-defined collarbone with the softness of her lips tantalizingly close to the underside of his prominent jaw line. All she had to do was say it. If she could only overcome her shyness with him! To just tell Captain Aizen exactly what she wanted him to do, how she wanted so much for him to push her onto the floor, untie her obi with the same swift expertise he drew his sword and—

"Take me, please!" Momo gasped against Aizen's neck, pressing her not yet blossomed bosom against his partially exposed and well-sculpted chest obtained after years of hard work. Every muscle from the core of her body out felt as if the blood was rushing so fast, and her heart pumping so rapidly the moment those words crossed her lips, that Momo feared she would faint from exhaustion or embarrassment, but Aizen's warm hand caressing her cheek had an amazingly soothing effect. Still her heart rate was comparable to that of a hummingbird.

The last thing Aizen had expected was for Momo to be so direct. When he had thought that his loins had already filled with as much blood as the remainder of his body could possibly spare, he was proven wrong by the sudden rush of excitement that surged to and from various regions of his body. Then the gears of his mind that were always working began to turn again after being temporarily stunned into submission. How should he best give his lovely little helper what she desired? As much as the hormones raging through him demanded it, Aizen knew pushing himself into her hard and deep too soon would hurt her too much. Possibly beyond repair if she were still human, but still the pain would be too much for her or anyone lacking experience. He would have to tone it down and control himself, which was no problem but unfortunate all the same.

And a visit to Unohana in the middle of the night was the last thing he wanted to deal with.

"This would be easier on the bed," Aizen said in a lower, raspier voice than normal. He scooped Momo up around the waist, her lean legs wrapping around his hips and her fingers burying themselves once again in the slight curls of his hair. With guarded caution he let his instincts take over and hungrily crushed her lips against his. Dizzy from heat, arousal, and lack of sleep Aizen stumbled slightly, accidentally pressing Momo against the wall.

"Keep your legs where they are," he said. Aizen needed her now, and this would have to do. Even with his nearly flawless sense of self-control he just could not fathom waiting any longer. It had been so long for him, and he had forgotten just how intensely the power of desire could take over one's mind.

Single-handedly Aizen loosened the tie in Momo's obi, the sash slipping beneath his fingers and to the ground as her nagajuban draped away from her body. Despite himself he forgot to breathe the moment her milky white skin was exposed. A few scars blemished her body, but that was to be expected from someone who had led the life of a Soul Reaper. Anyone taking a lesser path would have found the pink gashes from battle and training unattractive, but Aizen thought they in their own way were beautiful. If only he knew how many of those scars had been taken for him then perhaps he could compensate Momo more appropriately. Against his will Aizen caught himself wondering how much more flawless his subordinate's body could have been had it not been for him. Taking in every inch of her his eyes traveled from her still forming hips to her flat stomach and the supple breasts that would probably grow bigger one day, but he secretly hoped they would stay small and pert. Through the thin cloth of her underclothes he could see her hardened nipples. With one hand he brushed the fabric away from one side, cupping the warm, tender flesh in the palm of his hand with room to spare. Electricity shot through his stomach at every gasp that slipped from Momo's lips, each one becoming more and more saturated with pleasure as he rubbed his thumb over the erect bud before clasping his hot mouth around the rosebud coloured prominence, tracing his tongue over every centimetre of the tightened skin.

The longer Aizen's tongue and lips worked her breast the deeper Momo's fingernails dug into his neck and shoulders. Her heavy breathing had already caused beads of sweat to erupt from his pores due to the heat of their two bodies pressed so closely together while Aizen's robe had already begun to slip, one half hanging at the brook of his elbow and the other limply at the edge of his shoulder. Momo released one of her hands from it's vice grip on his skin and let it travel over the parts of his body that were exposed, afraid to venture farther than that. Aizen could feel her hands trembling as they drifted from his shoulder over his chest, cautiously farther down around his navel, and quickly back up again. Could he wait longer? Most of him was certain that he could, but at this rate it was now or never. The final verdict? No, he really could not wait.

Pressing Momo even closer against the wall, so tight he was sure that in different circumstances he might have hurt her or even crushed the air from her lungs, Aizen scrambled for his obi, his eager hands clawing at the casually tied belt as he worked for a way to dispose of it. His patience had run out as well as his willpower and he just had to have her, his eagerness only making the process of removing his clothing more difficult. The desire he harbored for this young girl he mentored reached beyond that of just carnal lust; he needed this more than anything he could name at that very moment or any other. He was a starving man in a desert with an insatiable hunger, and just thinking about how he could satisfy himself while bringing her pleasure that she could never feel with any other man was too much to handle. Already Aizen knew that he was an irreplaceable figure in Momo's life, but now after tonight he would be even more so.

Momo had begun to grow impatient against her own will, and such a thought embarrassed her. She let one of her hands sooth Aizen's larger one as she motioned for him to let her try. Within a few moments Aizen's obi slid through Momo's shaking fingers and onto the floor, her face illuminated with shock at what she had just done. Nearly the instant Aizen's obi became something of legend, the already smoldering hot desire for him between her legs ascended to an even more intense level of heat. However she could Momo pushed, shoved and kicked the remainder of Aizen's nagajuban from his waist until it pooled around his ankles with the airy sound cloth makes as it falls.

Aizen pressed his nakedness against Momo's radiating body, pushing her robes away from the front of her torso. With all his strength Aizen pressed his palm to the wooden panel of the wall for support as he shifted Momo's body to a better angle. Skin on skin now, Aizen could feel the pulse from Momo's femoral artery beating strongly against his hip, the blood flow strong and persistent. Taking one last steady breath Aizen positioned himself and slowly penetrated the warmth of his Lieutenant with more tenderness than he ever would have wanted.

Clasping her hand tightly over her mouth so that she would not cry out, Momo gave a muffled whimper and pressed her back harder against the wall behind her, tilting her head back until it could go no further. Admittedly she wondered before about Aizen's length, and it was too late now to know exact measurements. The tight discomfort was indescribable as her Captain pushed his member deeper into her. Even with her above average elasticity from her very physically active lifestyle, for which she had never before been truly grateful the pain was excruciating. What she would give to be vocal, to tell him how much it hurt yet how much she loved him being inside her at the same time so much that she would endure the pain time and time again if it meant being with him like this. Hesitantly she removed her hand from her mouth, but instead of comprehensible words only a mixture of sensual thoughts she had pent up for years came pouring out along with passionate murmurs.

Try as he might to maintain control over the situation Aizen was losing his grip. He could feel it with every steady thrust; every inch that he and Momo slid farther down the wall Aizen knew he was figuratively getting in too deep. Why did he not see until now that he was almost as vulnerable as his delicate little Momo? Such a simple miscalculation on his part, but the fact that he, Aizen, had overlooked an obvious factor—

It had been so many years since Aizen had allowed himself to indulge in even the most rudimentary of physical pleasures that he had forgotten how captivating the warmth of sex could be. Adrenaline coursed through his veins as he longed to pick up his pace, but they had slid so far down the wall that he was now on his knees while she sat in his lap, and he had not even noticed that they had come virtually to a complete halt.

"Lay down with me," he whispered, his voiced barely there, low and thickly strained.

Aizen groped around them for a cushion to support Momo's neck as he adjusted himself to their new position, lifting Momo's legs from the crook of her knee and securing them at his hips, showing her where to hold her limbs. Unable to hold back any longer Aizen pressed his body against hers while wrapping his arms around her shoulders almost as if he wished to absorb her through his skin as he thrust at a deeper and faster pace. Momo's lips were nestled tenderly against his neck, her quick, hot breaths beating against his skin in a steady, increasing crescendo. Somewhere along the line the discomfort had melted away for her, and Aizen was almost startled that Momo was proving to be a capable lover. Not perfect or experienced by any means, no, but definitely impressive for one so innocent. Still maybe his feelings were masking reality, but if that were the case he would contently live in the dream world for once. He tried to make note of where she was putting her hands, but those fingertips of hers just clutched at every inch of him like a greedy child grabs at every available sweet in a shop. Her fingers massaged and rubbed and clenched and smoothed all individually yet all at the same time, causing Aizen's vision to blur.

"Captain, please don't ever stop," Momo gasped. "I'm—"

Momo clamped her eyes shut, her hands clutching at Aizen's shoulders and her fingernails biting into his skin. Whether Aizen's low groans were a result of the deep indentions from the pressure or his quickly approaching climax Momo wasn't sure, but for once she didn't care. The muscles between her legs contracted, a rapidly progressing pulse pounding so strongly she couldn't even bother to control the volume of her evermore-consistent cries of pleasure as Aizen drove himself into her with more fervor.

Should he warn her? For a moment Aizen strongly considered it, but even parting his lips to quench his muscles thirst for oxygen was almost too much, and Momo's astonishingly erotic responses were not only more pronounced than he ever expected but also every gasp and whimper provoked a more raging fire in his core that he was certain would spiral out of his control entirely. Sudden waves of heat and cold engulfed Aizen's entire body, nearly drowning him as literally every muscle in his lean body seemed to contract and release all at once. Involuntarily Aizen's lungs forced out every molecule of oxygen they contained as he came, gasping for breath but unable to proceed any further as his entirety quivered slightly. Regardless of his exhaustion Aizen stayed hovered over Momo, too full of something foreign that prevented him from moving.

Momo's chest rose and fell rapidly at first, but it was only a few seconds until her breathy respirations returned to normal. The flush in her cheeks that remained had spread to the rest of her body as she giggled uncontrollably once she truly realized where she was and what had just occurred.

"Captain Aizen," Momo laughed. "Your glasses are slipping."

Momo's warm but shaky hands adjusted the frames of Aizen's glasses, taking her time as she did so. She could feel the warmth radiating from Aizen's skin as he smiled and sat up, donning his robes so as to remain decent.

"Thank you, Momo. I cannot see an inch from my face without them."

Momo smiled. Being of any help to her Captain meant the world to her. Even something as simple as fixing the glasses on the bridge of his nose sent butterflies soaring through her stomach. While Momo doubted there would be any more physical relations after that evening, she hoped that she and Captain Aizen would always remain close.

"Here," Aizen looked around for a moment before handing Momo her nagajuban and his night robe. "You should put something on as well."

Aizen stood up and turned his back to Momo as to allow some sort of privacy. They were by no means lovers, and even to him with that being the fact seeing her bare body outside of intimate acts was inappropriate. His expression turned to a frown as he returned to his worktable, tying his robe closed while he walked. At the beginning of the evening altering his original path even slightly to encompass security for just one other individual would make things far too complicated. Impossible. Not only would he have to re-draw out everything but also he would put his success in complete jeopardy. There was no way around it. Working around these new circumstances would only emphasize weakness in him, which would cause only failure, downfall, and disrespect. If Aizen were to obtain any sort of victory he would have to follow through. His stomach turned and tossed and snarled in fury, not out of sadness or guilt, but frustration at himself for being so foolish to lose control in such a mundane, and human way.

"Captain Aizen," Momo sighed as she yawned. "I really hate to ask you, but is that daybed still open?"

Aizen gave a soft chuckle as he regained composure before turning to face her. Once again his features were soft, gentle, loving.

"Of course, Momo. Sleep as long as you like. I just have one more thing I need to finish up."

Momo nodded while she tucked herself in, her eyes closing the moment her head hit the pillow. Before dozing off she realized that she never did obtain that piece of council from her Captain, but at least she could sleep peacefully.

***

Reluctantly Momo followed the halls of Central Forty-Six behind Gin Ichimaru. By that point who was she to trust. In the note left to her by Captain Aizen, he said to be wary of Toshiro Hitsugaya, but then Toshiro told her the exact same about Captain Ichimaru. Momo kept her distance from him enough to ensure her safety, but close enough to keep up. Something about Captain Ichimaru made her ill. As clean as he was, a foul aura rose from him like the foul odor that came off of rotting fruit. She has no reason to fear him. Captain Ichimaru was powerful, just like Captain Aizen, but from the moment she set eyes on him, Momo hated him intensely.

Either way, whether it was Captain Ichimaru or Toshiro who murdered Captain Aizen, Momo knew she was in the right place. The execution, the orders, the chaos all traced back to Central Forty-Six, and it was right under everybody's nose the whole time.

"This is the immaculate tower grove," Momo wondered aloud as she took in the sight of the grand hall. There were towers, each with their respective single doorways that served as the only source of external light. The stairs leading up to the tall towers were completely ominous and exact replicas to their neighbours. Still while it made sense that she come to Central Forty-Six, Momo still wasn't quite clear as to what Gin was leading up to. Whatever it was she couldn't ignore the persistent fear that gnawed at her.

"Why have you brought me here, Captain Ichimaru?"

"Have you ever been here before, Momo?"

Ichimaru said her name with a slight chuckle, almost as if he knew something dark and terrible. Something that was enough to send chills down Momo's arm and prickle the hairs on the back of her neck. From a distance she watched as he walked up the stairs and into the tower, his image becoming less clear with each step he took forward into the darkness.

"I've never seen it before, this area is off limits."

With great reluctance Momo followed him, drawing her arms close to her chest as if she could somehow protect herself that way. Her eyes darted around her nervously, before as she walked through the doorframe and then after as her pupils widened to adjust to the swelling dark.

"There's someone I want you to see."

"Someone you want me to see?" Momo's eyebrows furrowed.

Gin chuckled again and turned his head over his shoulder with a smirk.

"Go on, look behind you."

"Behind me?"

The words came out of her mouth in a mumbled whisper as she looked over her shoulder, but gasped and froze at the sight of the phantom visage before her.

"Ca-Captain Aizen?"

Memories from a few evenings prior flooded her mind as Momo took a shaky step towards her Captain. But how? Aizen was dead! She even saw him pinned against the wall with his own sword piercing his chest. Just the thought was enough to bring tears to her eyes, but she saw it!

"How have you been, Momo?"

No. This was impossible. But Captain Aizen looked alive. His smile, his stance, everything about him was the same as it was the night that Momo saw him last. And his eyes were so kind.

"I'm alive, as you can see," Aizen replied to Momo's stricken silence.

"C-Captain Aizen," Momo's voice began to shake. Trembling she walked forward, each step heavy and worn while the growing tears started to overflow from her eyes.

"Captain Aizen, I. . . I. . ."

Arms outstretched Momo stumbled into Aizen's arms, clenching the front of his robes tightly in her hands. Momo felt the warmth of his body through his robes, still in complete disbelief as she looked up into his concerned expression.

"Captain Aizen. . ." Momo's voice was barely a whisper.

"I'm sorry, you must have been heartbroken," Aizen smiled with a soft sigh as he ran his hand tenderly over Momo's hair. His touch was so reassuring. Helplessly she wept silently as everything that they had been through together flashed through her mind. The first time they met, the night where Captain Aizen helped her, Izuru and Renji when they were still students, a few mere evenings ago when Captain Aizen touched her for the first time. Momo bit her lip doing everything she could but the sobs still slipped through as she buried her face in Aizen's chest. Everything crashed into her at once like a tidal wave. It was really him, her Captain Aizen. Even his scent was the same.

Aizen rested one hand on Momo's shoulder and pulled her closer with the other.

"You've lost weight, poor child. I'm so sorry. I had no idea I'd hurt you so badly, but I want you to know there's something I must do." Aizen shook his head in regret. "And I had to stay hidden to do it. That's why I faked my death. And had you—"

"It's alright." Momo sniffed and wiped her eyes against Aizen's robes. "It's alright. Just knowing that you're alive is enough for me."

"Thank you, Momo. Our time together was a joy to me. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart."

Finally the angst had melted away completely. Once again Momo felt like she belonged somewhere, and this was where she was meant to be; in Captain Aizen's arms, and beside him like she had been for years with her complete support. For the first time in what felt like an eternity Momo smiled. Everything was right. . .

"Goodbye."


End file.
